A headset is a common electronic tool used for a variety of different communications tasks. The headset will usually contain one or more earphones or speakers for playing audio to a wearer, and may also include a microphone boom for capturing speech from a wearer. Headsets use a headband to contact a user's head in some fashion, and secure the headset and its components to the user's head.
One type of headband associated with headsets uses a pivoting headband for adjustability. The goal of a headset design, for practical purposes, is to ensure proper fit for a large number of users. A headset with a pivoting headband generally includes two arms that are joined at a pivot point. One or both of the headband arms may be rigid. Often the pivot point is the site of a torsion spring, with one leg of the spring seated in each of the two headband arms. The torsion spring provides a compression force biasing the two arms of the headband into a particular initial position. A user exerts a force to spread or open the headband beyond its initial position and put it on their heads. The compression force provided by the torsion spring helps to keep the headband securely on the user's head.
As conventionally used, the torsion spring within the headband is loaded to a fixed level of torsion, exerting a set biasing torque to the headband arms according to the headband's position. Regardless of the user's head size and the preferred position of the headband, the compression force is set by the spring and the initial position of the headband arms. The load on the torsion spring and the arm positions may not be at a level that is comfortable for all users. Additionally, over time, the load on the torsion spring may decrease as a function of age and wear on the headband, impacting the quality of the fit.
Certain occupational activities, such as customer service, aviation, and voice-directed or voice-assisted work, often require the use of headsets for an extended period of time. Because these headsets may be worn continually for several hours at a time, a comfortable fit is very important. Also, in many work environments, headsets may be shared, and a user may not have the same headset each time he or she works. It is thus desirable to ensure a proper comfortable fit in a headset for various different users.